Kicking the Seat

Kicking the Seat welcomes writer/director Seth Savoy, whose debut feature, Echo Boomers is now available On Demand. Patrick Schwarzenegger stars as Lance, a debt-laden Chicagoan who joins a gang of sophisticated thieves in burglarizing ultra-wealthy suburbanites.Savoy talks about the film's real-life inspirations; how he managed to land Michael Shannon as a key villain in a movie teeming with bad guys; and how he struck a balance between glorifying and criticizing his own generation of anti-one-percent malcontents.The guys also talk about confrontism versus escapism; distributing movies in the COVID era; and, for kicks...Star Wars!Show Links:Watch the Echo Boomers trailer.Rent/own Echo Boomers On Demand.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Cole say "ciao" to 2020 with a special 25th anniversary "Late Screening" of Martin Scorsese’s Casino!Watch as one of these wiseguys makes a case for this film being better than Goodfellas, while the other decries the whole mob-movie genre as becoming as burdensome as cement shoes!Show Links:Watch the Casino trailer.Listen to Ian and Cole talk about Goodfellas.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Aaron Christensen of Horror 101 with Dr. AC talk about some of the movies they've watched for Awards Season (aka "For Your Consideration" films)!They each give some quick thoughts on films the other critic hadn't seen yet (at the time of recording), and then do a deep dive into the latest Frances McDormand drama, Nomadland, which comes out in February (be sure to skip that part if you want to remain unspoiled--but if you do take the plunge, get ready for some against-the-grain opinions!).Time Stamps:Intro: 0:00 - 1:59Relic Discussion: 2:00 - 5:45The Social Dilemma Discussion: 5:46 - 14:19Sound of Metal Discussion: 14:20 - 19:23The King of Staten Island Discussion: 19:24 - 25:38Nomadland Discussion: 25:39 - 51:52Outro: 51:53 - 53:16Show Links:Watch the Relic trailer.Watch the Social Dilemma trailer.Watch the Sound of Metal trailer.Watch the King of Staten Island trailer.Watch the Nomadland trailer.Keep up with the good Doctor at Horror 101 with Dr. AC.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics close out 2020 with one of the year's most bizarre and divisive films: Wonder Woman 1984!Ian, David, EMan, and Don use the lasso of truth on Patty Jenkins' mixed bag of a sequel, which finds Diana Prince battling a sleazy TV mogul and the craziest of crazy cat ladies for control of an ancient, wish-granting god-rock!This spoiler-packed round table digs into comics origins; missed opportunities; surprisingly effective heart-over-head moments; and the down side of politically charged comic-book movies.Wonder Woman 1984 is now playing in theatres and streaming on HBO Max.Show Links:Watch the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer.Listen to Earth's Mightiest Critics discuss Wonder Woman 2017.Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Keep up with EMan's movie reviews at EMan's Movie Reviews.Get educated with Don at Every Movie Has a Lesson. Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Pat "The Über Critic" McDonald wake up early to unwrap White Christmas! Continuing their holiday tradition of discussing a movie Ian had never seen before, the guys plow through Michael Curtiz's 1954 classic musical about a reluctant quartet of song-and-dance performers who rally to save a struggling Vermont inn. Those are the broad strokes of a nuanced (and very funny) plot that ties love, war, and showbiz in a velvety, toe-tapping bow.Ian and Pat pay respects to the physical and comedic brilliance of stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen; remark on the surprising connection to the John Wayne/John Ford "Cavalry Trilogy"; and tiptoe through some of the film's less-than-2020-friendly aspects.Show Links:Watch the White Christmas trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian, David, and EMan review the latest Disney/Pixar film, Soul, premiering December 25th on Disney+.Jamie Foxx stars as Joe Gardner, a New York jazz musician and school teacher whose dreams are cut short due to an unexpected trip to the afterlife. In order to make his way back to Earth, he must mentor a stubborn soul named 22 (Tina Fey), and rediscover what made his own life worth living.In this spoilerific round table review, the guys explore the evolution of co-director Pete Docter's (Monsters, Inc., Up, Inside Out) career; debate whether or not Soul is more for kids or adults; and stop to appreciate the significance of newly prominent Black voices in the Pixar stable.Show Links:Watch the Soul trailer.Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Watch EMan's interview with Jamie Foxx and Soul co-directors Pete Docter and Kemp Powers.Watch the full African American Film Critics Association Soul round table (feat. EMan).Keep up with EMan's movie reviews at EMan's Movie Reviews.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian gets snowed in with Cole and Erin Rush for the last "Page2Screen" of 2020!Up for discussion is Stephen King's classic horror novel, The Shining, and Stanley Kubrick's iconic big-screen adaptation--which the author famously disavowed!This chillingly random stroll through the book and the film includes robust defenses of one medium over the other; detours into the oddball conspiracy theories laid out in the crazy-good documentary, Room 237; and, of course, a connection to 2001: A Space Odyssey!Show Links:Watch The Shining trailer.Read Cole's review of the Shining novel at The Quill to Live.Watch the Room 237 trailer.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian welcomes back author Ben Beard to talk about his latest book, The South Never Plays Itself! This narrative collection of film criticism is part engrossing history lesson; part encapsulation of great overlooked cinema; and part personal exploration of one man's lifelong journey to understand his evolving attitudes via the language of film.Ian and Ben explore the book's origins and themes, traversing some wild and woolly back roads that touch on the life of a film critic; the integration of political discourse into movie journalism; and Southern cinema's roots in classic literature.Show Links:Buy The South Never Plays Itself from New South Books.Keep up with Ben via his website.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Our year-long look at the Friday the 13th franchise comes full circle, as Ian, Lee, and Crystal Lake Memories author Peter M. Bracke review Marcus Nispel's 2009 remake!After two "final" installments, a trip to space, and a showdown with Freddy Krueger, it turns out the only thing capable of stopping the Crystal Lake Killer are dueling factions of lawyers! It's been over a decade since the Michael Bay-produced blockbuster took theatres by storm--only to remain sequel-free as rights issues tied up any future installments.Today, the guys look at the reboot's surprising pluses, not-so-surprising minuses, and spend a gratuitous amount of time talking about nudity (in the context of the film's controversial, copious flesh). Special thanks to Peter for joining us on the last few episodes, and for everyone who's watched or listened during 2020--which has become a horror movie all its own!And don't worry: If Jason Voorhees rises from his watery grave someday, we'll be here talking about it!Show Links:Watch the Friday the 13th (2009) trailer.Follow Lee Shoquist at ChicagoFilm.Buy the Crystal Lake Memories book.Rent/Buy the Crystal Lake Memories documentary.Order Scream Factory's Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian, Sujewa, and Alia look at the second installment of Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy. Picking up nine years after Before Sunrise, 2004's Before Sunset finds Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) reconnecting in Paris for a brief but possibly life-altering walk-and-talk.Watch as the gang digs into why this middle chapter may be the most profound and personal, and thrill to the spectacle of Ian clumsily dismounting a moral high horse. Also, Sujewa gives an update on the forthcoming movie he wrote, directed, edited, and stars in alongside Alia, The Secret Society for Slow Romance! Join us next month as we round out the Trilogy with a review of Before Midnight!Show Links:Watch the Before Sunset trailer.Watch the Secret Society for Slow Romance teaser trailer.Three Clips from The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects. Support Alia's creative endeavors.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!